Musical Ship Life: Getting a Ship Gig: Part One

Musical Ship Life: Getting a Ship Gig: Part One

Sound insights into getting gigs.

Establishing the methodology of semiotics historically and dilineating its practical value

Establishing the methodology of semiotics historically and dilineating its practical value

by Layne Jason on Monday, February 7, 2011 at 9:04am ·

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My study of semiotics has reached many areas of mythology that span a substantial period of time going far back as the legend of Gilgamesh and moving forward into contemporary literature and computer generated sources (i.e. hypertext).  My recent work with social networking have taken me into the area of what might be considered fundamental business applications. 

As such a better understanding of what precisely is entailed in the semiotic field from both a theoretical and practical point-of-view is required.  In essence, the practice of semiotics has been present throughout the centuries without necessarily being called semiotics.  Therefore a starting point into the circle of this study is required.  More in this regard will be discussed in regard to hermeneutics.  Briefly explained, hermeneutics begins with the study of scripture with the intent of arriving at a singular reading of the bible in such a way that the voice and will of god is not only understood but agreed upon by all.  This particular study has lead me to the study of medeival semiotics where the struggles between logical and scientific thought as secular vs. sacred readings created quite a problem for these individuals.  Make no mistake that proper interpretaion of the bible realized throughout the population was no small source of concern and fear to the powers that be.  If anyone could read the bible then the leaders would essentially loose their hold on others and so find their source of power seriously diminished.  This sort of thing goes on in the secular world as well.  Again, this is a topic to gradually be expanded in these writings.

For the moment I begin with a general overview of semiotics as it relates to specific areas.  For instance, there is the semiotics of language, clothing, jewelery, precious stones, architecture, etc.  The specific areas continue to grow. 

Look for more specific discussion in this regard understanding that we as human beings in a technological age practice semiotics in most areas of our lives.  What we do not do is remain attentive to it simply because it would take up too much of our time and seriously impact or appear to do so our ability to 'get things done.' 

However, I argue that once we understand the significance of this field and consider it more carefully more gets done and in a much more effective way.  The function of public school education is just one area where one may consider such value.  The running or corporate meetings another.  The generation of promotion and marketing yet another.  The list goes on.

What is the ‘Is’? Who is the ‘They’?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ab7XkaC6LVU

What is the ‘Is’?  Who is the ‘They’?

Think how often we use this word in our everyday conversations.  Think how often we say something like “What is he about?.” “They won’t let this or that happen” or “They decided or chose this or that.”  Who or what entity it the “They.”  Do this long enough—question the relative meaning of any language, symbol, or sign—and one discovers a very deep and dark black hole that decenters us.  And so—more often than not—we simply forgo that line of thought simply because it doesn’t seem to make things any easier for us.  And this makes sense.  We pretty much accept when we’re driving along that red means stop.  If we asked such questions posed above insurance companies and the police would have very difficult days. 

And so is it better that we do not ask such questions?  I would suggest such conversations already/always occur in a subliminal way.  The point being is that we do not destroy the question sending it on its merry way to Visidale.  We simply set aside or bracket the question for the sake of maintaining order for one and because the very notion that we live in a world of communication that is at its core is abstract and so a false premise that works on some fundamental level.

I suggest that there is a rarely explored world that I think of as the objective/subjective phenomena of experience that surrounds cultural  perceptions of unity much like the absolute spirit of Hegelian Truth that is ubiquitous yet most unseen.  In other words, to experience this world—this universal culture—to any degree means we must understand the importance of occasionally addressing those notions that are set aside or bracketed.  And it is in such activity that the safe little world of fabricated centeredness is realized as constantly decentered.  The center is within me and without me, and so it goes.

I create a piece of art whatever form it may take.  Someone asks me if it is done.  I respond it has neither begun nor ended but that it is part of an eternal  “Is’.  I read Frost poem about roads less taken each time in a new set of conditions.  The “Is” has not changed and is changeless.  The ‘is’ rests on a certain agreed upon relative meaning for a bit.  And then it is dislodged by the very posing of the question what is “Is” and who are “They’. 

The lesson for me is that ‘aggregate’ calculations that lead to assumptions about cultural or tribal ways of ‘being’ are in constant transit.  The aggregate rarely leads to a more complete form of comprehending the notion of individual consciousness. 

On a lighter note, such thinking makes me glad that I have the ‘what-if’ function on Excel. 

My art is fed on the above.  My ‘selling’ or ‘pitching’ my art to a world is about wrestling with the question of ‘what-if’, ‘what is ‘Is’, and who are ‘They’.    It’s in part a world of games and transaction.  Some of these are more predictable than others.  But they are never set in stone.   But any conjecture—no matter how relevant the formulas we apply—are never the absolute ‘Is’ is it?

What guides my branding efforts? Read On.

What guides my branding efforts?

Read On.

I would like to talk about my thoughts and philosophies of marketing, branding, and promotion.  I started making art, writing, and performing because it got me through difficult times.  In effect, my creative leanings drowned out the noise of a hostile environment in my childhood.  If felt like living the Stepford Wives’ with anger, resentment, and endless myopic domestic lives that one now views regularly on reality television.  As the situation grew worse so did my moving and expanding the scope of my art.  The creative thing replaced the above with joy and celebration.

But this is not my branding.  This simply is a part of life experience for some.  And so my branding efforts are not about hyping ‘me’.  My efforts are about opening up to an audience who is engaged by the music, about providing them with moments of joy and celebration.

So it doesn’t matter what happened back then in a sense.  It doesn’t matter what I wear, what kind of sneakers I wear, my favorite jeans, the kind of food I eat, and color of my hair.  Like Harrison sings, “It’s only a Northern Song.”  It doesn’t matter what my politics are.  Nor is it about my philosophical, cultural, or spiritual beliefs.

If who I am shows up anywhere it is always by way of the art.  And art communicates differently to each who experiences that art. 

So what is my ‘branding’ about?  It’s about the art.  It’s about change.  I am not the same person I was after writing this.  ‘

My real challenge is not taking my art and me and turning it entirely into a quantifiable static flavor of the day widget.  It’s about the art really.  Other larger business entities selling their phones, televisions, computers, sneakers, and what have you take a particular trajectory on their branding.  While the tools of branding may remain open as utility to those entire tools take on different meaning according to what the goal is.  And the artist, performer, writer or any other creative entity/individual should in my opinion ensure that their branding efforts are tailored to their aesthetic.  Not the record companies, not the distributors, not the publishers.  Good branding reveals us as we are:  constantly shifting human beings doing our best to make a genuine difference in the world.

In short, I leave the latter sort of branding to those who feel it works best for them.  Speaking for myself I would prefer a genuinely thoughtful audience with visions of their own completeness.  Does my version work?  Yeah, it works.  Ask Zappa, Cockburn, Radiohead, XTC, and PIL.  They have their audience and while they may not be walking red carpet circus spectacles, they entertain and inform to a substantial audience.  They sell their material and are successful.  Branding is not about acquiring fame.  It’s about communicating your world to others with integrity.  It’s about listening.  It’s about avoiding the typical hype provided more often than not by large campaigns. 

Neither style of this sort of thing is right or wrong.  But make no mistake about it.  Branding development is about choice that opens the audience to who you are.  And while many gurus will fill you with all sorts of templates for such branding, be careful to be willing take the best of those templates and discard the rest.  No one on this planet can provide you with a quick fix formula for branding.  The best person who knows how to tell your story is you.  No one else.  So yeah, break a few rules along the way.  But first know the rules of the game.    fracturecreations@gmai.com

The Persuaders, An Interesting look at new marketing strategy

 This show features a close look at what is going on in the marketing industry

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/video/flv/generic.html?s=frol02p74&continuous=1

Ann Interviews BJ Fogg

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Some helpful tips about utilizing social media in marketing

This marketingprof site has many useful videos on this subject.  Here is a sample.http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/2S8LWe/marketingprofs.com